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I hope you are ready for all the exciting adventures that lie waiting for you – I know I am.

Do you always make a list of resolutions at this time of the year and do you stick to them? I am afraid I had given up on the whole idea of making “New Year’s Resolution” lists, they always seem to get forgotten about and by the end of the year I am just wrapped with guilt about not sticking to any of them.

Luckily my lovely friend Anne (from The Owl Studio) was quick to send me some much needed inspiration for a more reasonable resolution list. Thanks Anne for keeping me on track. I can definitely try to stick to most of these suggestions (especially the one about helping spiders escape).

The festive season is finally here. What does this mean to you? Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Are you going away for the holidays? Will you be celebrating with tons of food and lots of prezzies?

Time is ticking and having a nifty December Calendar may help you organise your days during this crazy time of the year. Download your December Wallpaper Calendar now and start planning.

This year has been an exciting one for me, full of unsettling change resulting in so much to think about.
Have you started a new journey this year? Have you embarked on big changes? If not, why not? Now is your chance to embrace change and get going in the direction you are meant to be going in.

As the end of the year approaches, work is getting more and more hectic and the days are all blurring into one another.

Don’t get me wrong – I love being busy – busy is good. The trick is finding balance. How do you manage to find time for all the things you want to or need to do? Sometimes I battle to find the “even keel”. There just doesn’t seem to be time in one day to do all the things I need to. Then to top to top it all, we are in the process of having our house painted, so my concentration is split between my work and keeping a beady eye on a bunch of guys swinging off of ladders – not ideal.

Oh well – this week is going to be crazy and I suppose the best way to get through it is task by task, step by step. As my Mum would say: make a list! So with pen in hand and my diary open in front of me, I am going to embrace this week and kick it’s butt!

How do you tackle being pulled in a hundred different directions? What is your magic pill? Or do you just blindly rush in and get it done. I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.

(Todays wise words where illustrated by Mary Kate McDevitt and can be found here)

WOW – November is here, which means Christmas is just round the corner. Are you ready for the silly season?
To help you count down the days, here is a pretty November Desktop Calendar for you to download – enjoy!

WOW – Monday is nearly over. Did you also hit the ground running today? Is your week also filled with all kinds of cool and crazy business?

Here are a few highlights from my week’s to-do list (I am hoping that putting them down in a Blog post will help me to commit to actually doing them all):
1 – Finish off and package my latest order of Wild Beastie Wedding Lapel Pins
2 – Get cracking on an exciting new Blog Makeover client who’s portfolio I am helping to revamp (cant wait to share more about that)
3 – Scout for shops in which I could potentially sell my Kitties in (for some reason I am quite nervous about this one as I am totally self conscious when it comes to selling my crafted goodies… silly I know!)
4 – Attend WordCamp
5 – Attend #CuppaForCANSA High Tea at the Table Bay Hotel – super excited about this one!
6 – Attend this month’s Creative Mornings talk given by Ian Dommisse
7 – Do my tax (EEK!)

So, all in all a jam packed week. Hopefully this gorgeous poster, created for Etshy by Melissa Deckert, will give me (and you) the encouragement needed to see it through and “break new ground”.

Never Give Up – I need this in lights on the wall in my study. At times freelancing can be tricky and can push you to the edge. Don’t get me wrong – I still love being my own boss and I would not give it up for just anything, but at times the isolation of working on my own and the scariness of “quiet periods” can take it’s toll. Thankfully I have a wonderful husband who believes in me and always gives me that little push to get me back on track again. Make no mistake – he is a tough critic and being a creative director at an ad agency means he is a very hard task master, but I know he sees something in me that I often can’t see. I am so blessed – if it wasn’t for his encouragement and perseverance I would be nowhere. Thanks Alexis – you are the bomb!

So on a more constructive note – I have decided that possibly I should look into renting a desk for a couple of days a week. Somewhere close by, in a creative space, with like minded people.

Working entirely on my own is great – I get lots done and I am very focused, but at times it is very isolating. There is no-one to bounce an idea off, no one to have a quick look at something you are working on, no one to offer an alternate opinion – at this point in my Freelance career I think I really need this.

I have looked into a couple thus far, but I think I need to try them out to see if the vibe is right.
Here are a few of the spaces I have found (and liked) thus far:The BureauxDaddy.OTwenty Fifty

So this is where I need your help – Do you know of any really cool spaces that are available within the Cape Town CBD? I am looking for a desk for one maybe two days of the week, access to the interwebs (& good coffee) and a fabulous vibe. Please let me know, I really would appreciate any and all suggestions.

Our little garden is in full bloom, I counted over 21 different types of plants that are showing off pretty flowers at the moment. This is fairly nifty as our garden is teeny tiny (only around 3×4 meters).

At this time of the year my favourite place to work is outside on our balcony overlooking this mini floral paradise – it smells so intoxicating and magical.

So, continuing in the theme of spring I have made a downloadable October Wallpaper Calendar that is fresh and bright – sure to brighten up your desktop. Enjoy!

Is your blog looking a little drab?
Does it need a brand spanking new look or do you simply want to freshen it up with a new header or some gorgeous buttons? Get in touch and before you know it your beloved blog will be looking it’s finest again.
Click here to see previous Blog Makeovers.